'Junonia' by Kevin Henkes

Alice is turning 10, her first birthday in double digits, and it proves a moment of change.

June 10, 2011|By Mary Harris Russell | Special to Tribune Newspapers

"Junonia"By Kevin HenkesGreenwillow, $15.99, ages 8-11

Alice is turning 10, her first birthday in double digits, and it proves a moment of change. Alice's family has always gone on a midwinter vacation to shell-laden western Florida, staying in the same place with familiar neighbors. The shells remain timeless; some ordinary, some - like the junonia Alice would like to find - rarities. This year the neighbors show that they are not timeless, with the older folk aging, the middle-aged families and friends behaving differently. Kevin Henkes shows us the beginning of Alice's growing up, still anchored in 10-year-old joys. It doesn't require a Florida trip to enjoy these quiet observations.